Video Dilemma..?

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Ok, So basically I'm currently looking to buy a video camera within the region of £600-£900, I aspire to get into the film industry and am looking to try to start building a portfolio for admission into uni/collage.
I have been looking on eBay at the canon XL2 which looks a good piece of kit but I know absolutely nothing about!!
The problem is that I am completely stuck as to what to go for! I would love a DSLR (probably a D5100 or 60D, I am not currently tied to a lens system as my kit lens is hardly worth counting for,) BUT I do realize that to get a good video rig that could match the XL2 is going to require good lenses as well, which is going to cost quite a bit.

If anyone could give me some advice as to what a good path is, as I really don't know how to compare a DSLR with HD movie mode and a camcorder, then I would be very gratfull!! :)
 
If you are serious about getting really good videos then you will need a lot more than just a good camera. Sound, tripods, etc etc all cost a lot.
 
EMA747 said:
If you are serious about getting really good videos then you will need a lot more than just a good camera. Sound, tripods, etc etc all cost a lot.
Click to expand...

Not to mention a very high spec computer to handle rendering etc... Tons, and I mean tons of space to store the files, as much as you can afford. 1080 Soon builds up. Plus high spec editing software.

Makes photography seem cheap!
 
Skyline On Fire said:
Not to mention a very high spec computer to handle rendering etc... Tons, and I mean tons of space to store the files, as much as you can afford. 1080 Soon builds up. Plus high spec editing software.

Makes photography seem cheap!
Click to expand...


+1 if you just want snippets of video mixed with stills in a slideshow. DSLR and a tripod and maybe a small slide will suffice, anything more and we are talking mega bucks.
 
tough one, and depends what sort of thing you want to work in really. If documentary stuff's more your thing, you might be better off getting an XL2 - for their sins, they were the absolute staple camera of low end production until HD came about.

If you love beautiful visuals, then get the canon 600D, a 50mm 1.8, a WF717 tripod, a rode videomic + long cable for it, and a flip video as a second / 'simple to wave about' camera.

A lot of video isn't in the visuals or anything technical, but your storytelling and how well you can put together interesting video - and wherever you apply to university (btw, my top pick would be ravensbourne, absolutely fantastic broadcast courses that throw you in right at the deep end) they don't expect you to be an award winning camera operator, but the most important thing will be how you've applied yourself, shown how you want to make stuff, and your ideas and storytelling. At university, they'll provide the kit, so you can concentrate on production :)
 
Skyline On Fire said:
Not to mention a very high spec computer to handle rendering etc... Tons, and I mean tons of space to store the files, as much as you can afford. 1080 Soon builds up. Plus high spec editing software.

Makes photography seem cheap!
Click to expand...

I know what you mean, But I don't have a Job at the moment, So I thought I'd start with a the camera/camcorder. And I have my hard drive and mac mini for the time being.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
tough one, and depends what sort of thing you want to work in really. If documentary stuff's more your thing, you might be better off getting an XL2 - for their sins, they were the absolute staple camera of low end production until HD came about.

If you love beautiful visuals, then get the canon 600D, a 50mm 1.8, a WF717 tripod, a rode videomic + long cable for it, and a flip video as a second / 'simple to wave about' camera.

A lot of video isn't in the visuals or anything technical, but your storytelling and how well you can put together interesting video - and wherever you apply to university (btw, my top pick would be ravensbourne, absolutely fantastic broadcast courses that throw you in right at the deep end) they don't expect you to be an award winning camera operator, but the most important thing will be how you've applied yourself, shown how you want to make stuff, and your ideas and storytelling. At university, they'll provide the kit, so you can concentrate on production :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for this! :) I'm more inclined to the 600D at the moment, my friend has a 550D and gets great videos from it. Plus it's way more portable. But the XL2 does have a f1.6 lens and I seeing as it's built purely for film, I would guess it gives better results?
 
don't get obsessed by HD in particular - its just a number - a good quality SD camera is better than a rubbish HD one! You can also up-scale high quality SD production to HD and noone notices...happens all the time in Broadcast! (can't say more).


p.s.
Dave mentions Ravensbourne - I am cautious to recommend them since they moved to Greenwich and introduced ...novelty... teaching techniques and ditched their studios and tutors - its too soon to see what effect this has on the quality of their graduates.
 
flossie said:
don't get obsessed by HD in particular - its just a number - a good quality SD camera is better than a rubbish HD one! You can also up-scale high quality SD production to HD and noone notices...happens all the time in Broadcast! (can't say more).


p.s.
Dave mentions Ravensbourne - I am cautious to recommend them since they moved to Greenwich and introduced ...novelty... teaching techniques and ditched their studios and tutors - its too soon to see what effect this has on the quality of their graduates.
Click to expand...

yup.... as an example of what they *can* do, and one of my favourite examples of 'it's not the kit it's what you do with it', the film 28 days later was shot on XL2's.
 
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